MONDAY morning and after the debrief on the Gateshead win we turn our attention to the FA Cup tie at Notts County.

The players are given the necessary information about the Division 2 club, both on individual players and general pattern of play. We talk about formation and set plays.

The game itself starts very well for us and the tactics of the first half frustrate the home team and fans. It is 0-0 at half time and I tell the boys to believe in themselves and the match is there to be won.

We start the second period slowly and eventually concede a poor goal and yet the reaction of the players is excellent and we deservedly equalise, only to go to sleep and concede within a minute or so.

Unperturbed, we push on again and, but for their keeper, could have won the game. At the very least, we should have brought them back to the New Lawn.

I was angry and frustrated after the match as a lot of people seemed happy to lose ‘bravely’. This is an attitude that has to be dispelled if this club is ever to advance to greater things and it is something I am chipping away at all the time.

Thursday and Friday was all about re-focusing the players` minds on the most important issue of staying in this league and preparing properly for Ebbsfleet United away.

Platt was ill, as was O’Ceaurill (but he came off his sick bed to play) and Rankin was able to start although very sore. Rocastle and Thorne came back and so with a few adjustments we took the game to Ebbsfleet and went ahead on three occasions only to lose the game in the third minute of injury time.

We fully deserved to win the game but for crazy errors, but if we stick together as a team then we will fight our way out of our current predicament. I have total faith in my squad.

Judge not a team by how they fall but by how they pick themselves up. Keep believing.